28th November 2009

Holiday with Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon

Everyone knows the most famous person to have lived in Stratford-upon-Avon. Today, the market town regularly attracts millions of people a year, as they flock to see where William Shakespeare lived and to visit one of the houses in Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust.

If you have never been to the town yourself, there is no better time than right now! We will make sure you have a wonderful holiday cottage for your stay in Stratford-upon-Avon, and here we’ll even give you a head start on where to go!

There are several properties that are part of the Birthplace Trust, all of which have distinct links with Shakespeare himself.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

This is quite a big property for Shakespeare’s time, and it can be found on Henley Street, which is the main High Street in the this lovely shopping town. There is no front garden, and it can be quite strange finding the building – ancient looking as it is, from the 16th century – sitting in the same street as many modern shops!┬áEven if you are only in Stratford-upon-Avon for a weekend break and have time only for one of the properties, this is definitely the one to pick.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

This property is stunning.. picture postcard stunning, in fact. It’s where Anne Hathaway lived before she married Stratford-upon-Avon’s most famous playwright and when you arrive, you first walk through the beautiful gardens to the house itself, and then on to a guided tour to the property which truly is fascinating – they will reveal what life was really like back in the 16th century, most interesting.

Hall’s Croft

The playwright’s eldest daughter lived here. Since she married a doctor you’ll be able to find out more about medicine back in that time during your visit. And when you have finished, pop along the road to Holy Trinity Church. You will be able to see the grave of Shakespeare himself.

New Place

You will see this referred to as Nash’s House as well on occasion, but in fact the two are separate from each other. New Place was where Shakespeare retired to, but unfortunately it is no longer there. Only the foundations remain. If you find Nash’s House however, you can gain access to what remains of New Place. Both are well worth seeing.

Mary Arden’s Farm

You might say that this is where it all began, because this is the house that Mary Arden originally lived in, and she was the mother of the boy who would grow up to become this country’s greatest playwright. Mary Arden’s Farm is the perfect place to take kids in Stratford-upon-Avon, it has farm animals, a wonderful playground, birds of prey show and much, much more, all things that are fun for families with kids of any age. She then moved to Henley Street where she gave birth to him, and the rest really is history.

It is well worth making time to see all the properties if you can, but if you only have time to see a couple, make sure you visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s Birthplace, or Mary Arden’s Farm if you’re in Stratford-upon-Avon as a family with kids. These are extremely popular and make the ideal day out when you are spending a weekend break in the area.